If you didn't before, I'd be willing to bet you do now.
When I say 'magic', I'm not talking about making things disappear, over-the-top illusions, or pulling a rabbit out of a hat. I'm talking about the type of magic that cannot ever accurately be described in words. Rather, it's a subconscious awareness that even for a few small moments, absolutely everything is right in the world.
It's a type of euphoria where everything just feels good; there's really no better way to describe it. Any existential worries in other areas of one's life seemingly are lifted away in an instant, and a very real cognizance of joy and exuberance occurs that some individuals may only be privy to a couple of times throughout their lives.
An entire season of hard work and dedication culminated with one of these rare moments Friday night as the Mercury were crowned 2009 WNBA Champions; and for a few moments, we were fortunate enough to witness multiple levels of real magic.
As soon as you entered the arena Friday night, there was a palpable feeling of electricity; one of those few experiences in professional sports where you just knew it was going to be a night to remember. Almost 18,000 fans filed into US Airways Center in support of not just the Mercury, but the WNBA and women's basketball in general. It was the most attended Finals in league history, a 43.3% increase from last season, and garnered double-digit growth for ESPN2's coverage of the WNBA Finals (an average of 522,000 viewers - an increase of 66% over last year). This type of support for the league is unprecedented and shows a paradigm shift in respect and admiration for these phenomenal athletes that they've long deserved.
In the end, it becomes increasingly difficult to solidify a single point in this season as "greater" than another. Obviously winning the Championship will stand out, but the 2009 season was comprised of dozens of lesser-known, equally as meaningful episodes involving the collective team. It was never about a single player or individual recognition. Here are a few memories that should stand out.
The immediate impact of rookie DeWanna Bonner - a double-double in her first WNBA game
Temeka Johnson's leadership on the court, and her game-winning shot in Sacramento
Ketia Swanier, Nicole Ohlde, Kelly Mazzante, and Brooke Smith comprising the deepest bench in the league
The legendary return of Penny Taylor, and her immeasurable significance to the team's success
Tangela Smith's two momentum saving three-pointers in game 5
Le'coe Willingham's career year and toughness
Cappie Pondexter's inspiring play all season long, and command of the game
Diana Taurasi - the MVP's, the heart, the intensity, and the passion
While words fail to label the true sense of bliss that was evident Friday night, the expressions of the players, coaches, organization, and fans capture it best. Seeing the genuine out-pouring of emotions from the team whether it was tears of joy, a smile from ear to ear, or a celebratory hug from teammate to teammate undeniably manifested what true magic really is.
The term "must win" has so many subjective definitions and connotations, it's really difficult to classify a particular game as more important than another.
At this point in the season, if we're honest with ourselves, every game is a must win for Phoenix. Sure, the Mercury have secured a playoff spot, and more than likely will be the #1 seed in the West, but getting on a roll heading into the post-season while garnering confidence is more important than any one game.
Rather than look at tonight's game against the surging Sparks as a "must win", let's view it as a measuring stick.
The Sparks come into tonight winning 6 in a row and playing their best basketball of the season. They're finally at full strength, beginning to understand Cooper's offensive and defensive schemes, and are oozing with confidence. Winners of 8 of their last 10 games, Los Angeles has managed to move up to the #3 seed in the West and only 2 games behind the Storm for the #2 seed.
Phoenix has won both meetings against the Sparks this season, including a 15 point blowout at the Staples Center in early July. However, the Sparks (and the Mercury for that matter) are a very different team now.
Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie are both healthy and playing at a high level, something that has not been the case during the first part of the season. The Sparks success solely rests on Parker and Leslie's play and since they've been healthy and stepped up their game and leadership of late, it's no surprise to see the Sparks on such a roll. For the Mercury, the acquisition of Penny Taylor has also been a methodical one, and that's exactly how it should be. Penny hasn't had her breakout game yet but I'd expect that to come sooner than later as the team prepares for the playoffs.
Perhaps what boggles the mind most, is that the Mercury still haven't truly played their best basketball yet, or to the level the entire team knows they can play at. Even so, they continue to lead the league by a huge margin in average points per game, FG%, assists per game, 3 PT %, blocks per game, and pace of play.
Coach Gaines has told me many times throughout the season that he doesn't feel the Mercury have really clicked 100% in any game thus far. Knowing this, ithasto be scary for opposing teams with the Mercury still dominating most offensive categories.
Both teams will undoubtedly be pumped up and motivated for a win tonight, and the victor will surely get an added boost of confidence and hype for the last stretch of the season.
Mercury's keys for a win tonight:
·Tempo- Phoenix has to keep the Sparks on their heels.
·Turnovers- Not only do the Mercury need to limit their own, but they need to force them on the defensive end.
·Rebounds- Letting opposing teams get more rebounds (both offensive and defensive) limits the Mercury's ability to get out on the break and takes away much needed possessions for their offense; Phoenix has to crash the boards and limit second-chance opportunities for the Sparks.
·Fun- The Mercury are at their best when you see smiles on the court (and we have some of the best looking smiles around). Hence, if the Mercury get back to fun, free basketball it will certainly bode well for the team.
Well let me start off with HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEWANNA! Its been a while since I last blogged but I figured today is the day!!
The team went on a 2-game road-trip and just got back 2 days ago on Wednesday. I am so happy to have them back in the 602! Coming into work when the team is away just isn’t the same. I go into the locker room, training room, and my office and I am the only one there. I have to turn all the lights on myself and work in silence, or the sound of my ipod or tv, which is not the same as the distinct voices of our hilarious players and coaches. When the team is here it’s pretty much impossible to have a bad day at work or a dull morning. They all have their routines of coming into their second home, the Mercury locker room! Everyone goes around to make sure they tell every single person good morning. Some do it with just a little eye contact and verbal words, most go around giving hi-fives, then there’s Meek who gives hugs and Dee who sometimes gets overly excited and attacks you with a bear hug. There’s always smiles all around! Also, when the teams gone I find myself coming to work on a empty stomach and I always wait until so late to eat lunch. I make myself have a headache from an empty tummy. This is only because when the team is here, every morning there’s food provided for everyone… thanks to our trainer Tamara! We have fresh cut fruit, bagels, muffins, donuts, granola bars and other delicious snacks! Making a pit stop by the food counter is part of my daily routine!!
I received a package the other day from my two lovely sisters. They sent me a syringe filled with chocolate from Max Brenners, my favorite dessert spot in NYC… A chocoholics heaven!! And a huge pair of purple underwear with MERCURY screen printed on the back side. They are hilarious and from our 2007 championship season. They may have some goodluck with them! Some of you may have seen the photos of players wearing them on the bus to one of our practices in Detroit during that finals series. Anyways, I thought I’d tell you about them because they seem to be stuck in my mind… maybe because they are hanging on my window to the office right in front of my face!
Donna Orender has graced us with her presence at this mornings shoot around!! It’s awesome to have such a great women as the President of our amazing organization, the WNBA! I’ve met Donna Orender on multiple occasions and she’s just so humble and genuine.
I hope you guys are coming to tonight’s game vs. the Mystics! When we get this win we will have clinched a playoff spot, and we will be the first team this season to earn that postseason appearance!! Also, you desperately need the watch the Cappie23 video our game ops dept. put together!! It’s going to play 2nd quarter. There’s some really special appearances in the video… I was lucky enough to see some clips, one of our President Jay Parry and GM Ann Meyers Drysdale. They really got into the spirit of the video and rapping!I can’t wait to see it all put together!
Can I just say… our game operations department is the absolute best! I have been to every arena in the WNBA and watched so many time-out, quarter break and half-time skits and performances and no one compares! I’ve known Vice President of Game Entertainment Kip Helt and Game Entertainmet Manager Shaun Stanhibel since the day I started working here…. Back in 1997! Kip was my first boss and I’ve never had a better one! Both of those guys are so creative and entertaining! I can tell Shaun just lives for the moments he gets to throw on a costume or mascot outfit and run onto the court to get the crowd involved! His dance moves may need a little more work though J. So… they’ve been telling me for a while that they are going to put me in one of their hilarious game time videos, I always say NEVER! But, they finally got me to do one! It was hard to say no when my one line was “I love CP23”..I mean I do love that girl so it wasn’t too hard.
Well the team just left for the afternoon lunch and naptime, which means I get to go home for a little break also! I will be back to the arena shortly though… can’t wait for tonight!
Well its the start of week 3 of training camp! The Mercury court is down, freshly buffed and ready to go for our first home game of 2009!!! Practices have been really good and I think we are done with two-a-days thankfully :) but all the girls are still working extremely hard! So I know you amazing X-Factor fans like to know the skinny on the players! Well... Let me just tell you we always have a great bunch of girls, but this group is hilarious! The new dance that seems to get most of the players moving in the locker room is the stanky leg... Not my style! But.. I do enjoy watching them make fools of themselves. On the court.. During our stretch circle "B" better known as coach Bridget Pettis has a daily ritual of going around and giving each girl a hi-5. This season it has turned into a complete routine with each player having a different crazy action to do with B. I'll give you some examples... With Shin they give each other a karate bow, hi-5 then use their hands to symbolize flashing lights, with LeCoe they both do a dance that they've created, then slap hands. There's also jokesters on the team. One un-named player picked up a tiny disgusting critter found and chased one of our unexpecting rookies around the gym with it!
The team has also been doing a lot together outside of the arena. We've had a few team bbq's... Any excuse for some good food! Memorial Day we had a pool party and we've gotten together for the exciting NBA playoff games. I must say we have some good cooks on the team! Bridget makes the absolute best mac & cheese, our trainer Tamara always provides the delish crab legs and Quigley makes the most AMAAAZING cookie bars, which we've named "Q's intentionally extremely undercooked cookie bar" its like eating warm cookie batter with the tiniest crisp to it! :) I am definitely the biggest fan of desserts. Some players have also been supporting other local sports, a few of the players went to the Diamondbacks game last friday. Ohlde and Laurie Koehn took their former college coach from K. State.
And just to keep you guys in the know.... Here's player nicknames currently being used. Of course you guys know our returning players: DT or Dee, Diana CP, Cap or Cappa, Cappie Maz, Kelly Mazzante Tan, Tangela Smith Coe, LeCoe Willingham B-Rock or 'brook the hook', Brook Smith Shin, Yuko Oga Q, Allie Quigley Here's the new ones: Ali, Alison Bales Meek, Temeka Johnson O or Ohlde, Nicole Ohlde Page, Murriel Page Laur, Laurie Koehn DB or 'go getta', DeWanna Bonner Sha pronounced 'shay', Eureka Brooks
There's a lot of great things happening with the Mercury right now and I personally can't wait for that first game on June 6th!!!! Hope to see you there.
While doing my usual WNBA morning research, I came across a quote from last night's game by Michael Cooper (head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks) that really surprised me.
"We are still in the playoff hunt, still right there," coach Michael Cooper said. "We are 14-14.Once playoffs come around I don't care what anyone says, the championship is going to run through Los Angeles."
Obviously, the portion in bold is what caught my eye, and got me thinking. Here were my initial thoughts:
·I realize that Cooper probablyhadto say that to assure his team and fans that he still has the utmost confidence in them. Still, the argument probably falls through since the Mercury have won all 3 meetings this year...
·I love that the Mercury, no matter how difficult or trying things get, would never say something like that - they'd let their game speak for itself and give credit to the opposing team who beat them.
·The Mercury's collective humbleness, in addition to their greatness, is what makes them so endearing to so many people.
Having said that, I don't mean to come across as judgmental or mean it as an indictment of Michael Cooper as a person or coach. On the contrary, as I mentioned above, he probablyneededto say that to his players and fans to assure them he is 100% confident in his team.
However, I can't help wonder how much more honorably that Corey Gaines would've handled a similar situation. Gaines has repeatedly given credit to opposing teams when due and displayed honor and integrity in a loss; if the Mercury got beat, he acknowledges it, explains what the team needs to do differently next time, and stays humble.
Though, that's what the entire team is about - character, honor, and loyalty. I'll never forget the quote from Diana Taurasi in 2007 heading into the finals, "We're in the finals? I didn't even know!" And guess what? She went out and let her game do the talking and brought home a championship trophy.
In addition to how phenomenal of a basketball team the Mercury are proving to be, they stay grounded and humble by giving back to the community on a consistent basis despite not being recognized for it (they do it because it's therightthing to do). For instance, Temeka Johnson is hosting HOPE Night tomorrow at US Airways Center to raise money for her H.O.P.E. Foundation (Heaven Opens People's Eyes) which focuses on helping individuals and communities that are underserved. Recently, Cappie Pondexter joined youth at the Boys & Girls Club to help them shop for back-to-school items. Ketia Swanier's foundation (Ketia4Kidz) helps children of military families and provides educational and personal developmental support. Tangela Smith often volunteers/helps the Save the Family Foundation for homeless children. Other players, like Kelly Mazzante, regularly host basketball camps for youth to teach discipline, teamwork, and accountability.
Sure, it's easy to root for a team that is winning and has great players to watch. However, the Mercury make it so much fun and heart-warming to support and follow with an entire team/organization of genuinely good human beings.
Staying humble and giving back - these are the qualities the team exudes that I respect and love more than anything else.
As the Mercury face a pivotal game 4 in Indy tomorrow night, I’ve taken some time to look back on the 2009 season and how much it has impacted and influenced me for the better. As I’m writing this, I fully realize it probably goes against all unwritten (or written) rules of the so-called ‘media’, but to be frank, I don’t really care. Many of you know that I write for a few different outlets (DIME Magazine, Fanster, etc.) and I’d like to preface that the rule of “objective journalism” most definitely does not apply in the following paragraphs.
Quite simply, I love the Mercury.
Not that it’s a new revelation by any means. I’ve covered basketball (namely the NBA) for a while and have always been a fan and supporter of the WNBA. In fact, one of my best friends growing up was former Mercury player Ann Strother whom I frequently lost to when we played basketball together (and by ‘frequently’ I mean ‘every single time’). Not just because I was a foot shorter than her (and still am) but because she was (and still is) a much better basketball player than me. I had absolutely no shame or embarrassment in admitting it then, and still don’t to this day. It was never a gender issue in the least and I certainly never felt emasculated – she was damn good for crying out loud! The amount of respect I have for the women’s game has, and will continue to be, immeasurable. However, it still bothers me that society tends to make a big deal out of something like this. It shouldn’t matter if a player is a man or woman; if they’re better than you at the game just be thankful you had the opportunity to play with or against them as it undeniably made you better.
On that topic, I’ve never understood the immediate dismissal of the WNBA by men. If I’m honest, I think it deals with some deeper personal issues for many guys out there rather than the typical sentiment of “they’re not as fun to watch” as the NBA. I’ve also spent time calling out the guys who have ignored or downplayed the significance of the WNBA and as a result have been called every negative adjective you’ve ever heard. From time to time, I see articles defending the WNBA and defining various reasons why it should be recognized. While I have done the same, it also saddens me that those articles even have to be written in the first place. In the year 2009, I believe as a culture we should be past the point where selling out a WNBA game is a major event – it should already be that way due to how amazing these ladies are. I stand firm to the belief, and will happily defend it to anyone, that if you dismiss the WNBA you’re not a true fan of the game of basketball. There is nothing to dislike about the WNBA. Not a single thing.
Thus, when I started covering the Mercury this year in much greater depth than ever before, I quickly became immersed in the culture – perhaps more so than the NBA, and this is coming from a guy who has the Phoenix Suns logo tattooed on my forearm (FYI - I still love the Suns). Those who have followed the league just as closely for a long period of time know exactly what I’m talking about. There is a sort of “magical” aura that surrounds the WNBA (and the Phoenix Mercury) and there really aren’t any words describing it that would do it justice.
I was fortunate enough to truly devote the vast majority of my time this summer to this Mercury team, a group of individuals who are not only phenomenal basketball players but even better human beings. To see firsthand the dedication and devotion they have to the sport was eye-opening and inspiring to me both as a basketball player and as a person. I’ve had the privileged opportunity to get to know a few players beyond the superficial and it has been a humbling and moving experience. The amount of class, character, and integrity every lady has on this team is second to none. Whether it be spending a few extra minutes talking to the media answering the same question 5 times in a row, discussing their faith and how it’s impacted them, or just smiling and saying ‘hi’ it’s been a refreshing experience for me compared to other professional teams and/or athletes that I’ve covered or had experience with. It’s amazing how far a little kindness goes, and this Mercury team is overflowing with it.
Now, I’ve certainly had my share of negative experiences with professional athletes. About 11 or 12 years ago I worked maintenance at a high-profile golf course in Colorado. I was the guy you see on the riding mower or cutting weeds in the rough, making far too much noise when you’re trying to concentrate on your next golf shot. Anyway, a plethora of professional athletes would golf there and while I won’t name them personally, I was very much looked down on and dismissed as a second-class citizen. Not that this unfortunate occurrence is unique to the sports world, but as a die-hard sports and basketball fan and player my whole life, needless to say, my perspective on professional athletes changed. It became a bit jaded and my view of the “perfect world of sports” was not what I thought it was. This feeling fluctuated in subsequent years but never truly went away.
Nevertheless, that spirit was completely rejuvenated over this past summer much to my delight. Seeing the genuineness of these Mercury players brought that feeling back in full force that there are, in fact, decent human beings in this business. They spend countless hours out in the community making things better, set extraordinary examples for young women to follow, and deserve the recognition that other professional athletes get.
That’s why, quite frankly, I’m not ready for this to end – and certainly not tomorrow. Like you, I’ve enjoyed this season far too much to have it be over already, especially after the magical season the Mercury has had thus far. If there is anything I’ve learned about this Mercury team, it’s that they have zero quit in them; it’s not in their vocabulary. I’ve stated many times that they are the most resilient team in the WNBA and I have the utmost faith that we’ll see that from them on Wednesday. With the amount of adversity they’ve faced this year, and how they’ve bounced back strongly every time, I’m excited to see their collective response tomorrow evening – it will be one for the books.
While this article may be over-the-top for some people and perhaps too personal, I’m okay with that because I can assure you it’s the honest truth. And while we gear up to support the Mighty Mercury tomorrow, lets also be thankful for what they have already done and why we invest so much of ourselves in them.
Now, what do you say we get that game 4 win and bring it home on Friday in front of the X-Factor – you know I’ll be there.
Happy Saturday! It’s another exciting game day…. The team plays Sacramento tonight, it seems like we’ve played them enough times for one season already but we play them again this coming Wed. the 15th at 12:30! It’s our afternoon camp day, so I’m expecting the usual high pitch loud screams from thousands of young kids. Those games are definitely the loudest games of the season!
Things have been really great around here...the team unity is priceless!! Last week we all attended the Beyonce “I Am” concert. It was sooooooo good! During practices before the show a bunch of the players and of course Bridget were practicing their Beyonce moves! We had a huge suite with the players, coaches, staff, hip-hop squad, friends and family. Everyone was up dancing and definitely enjoying themselves!
Our game entertainment department has been coming up with fun time-out videos for games. I loved the Brooke/Tangela fight skit! They both really enjoyed it also… they didn’t want to take off the robes. I know they are filming another sing with the Mercury video, because they’ve been stealing players away. But I’m not sure what song they are going to sing to. I cannot wait to see that!!!
I posted another video of the shoot around half court shot the other day… Le’Coe made the money shot! And also in the video if you notice is Diana kicking the basketball. Diana has some soccer skills and can kick a ball from the court and aim it to go through a portal entrance on the top of the bleachers…she does this every shoot around. I’ve heard Diana talking about how sometimes she wishes she was left handed because left handed players “always have a pretty shot” according to her. The other day she threw up a random 3-pointer with her left and it was a swish! Needless to say, she amazes me a lot.
I’m sure some of you know our fans have a Mercury Booster club! They give us little care packages every game. Its usually fun toys, candy, gum and a lot of random goodies! Last game vs. Chicago they gave us fake gold chains and hats. Since our team has a bunch of goofballs, of course they put everything on to do their team walk down the hallway for pre-game. There’s an ongoing joke with the team and Ohlde…in the 4th Quarter Noise video, each player holds up 4 fingers and says “4th quarter” well everyone holds up their hands up straight but Ohlde holds hers at a slight angle. Since the first time that video played now it’s a joke that Ohlde has her ghetto side!! Of course its all been made more dramatic and people go around saying “4th quarter” with their hands and heads held sideways. So... Ohdle definitely had to wear one of those fake chains!
I don’t know if any of you guys are facebookers… but there are some funny videos on there of some Mystics and Dream players rapping! It’s pretty hilarious and all done jokingly… I mean they do rap about their own dogs! Good stuff!
Hope you guys all have a fun and safe weekend, and hopefully see you guys at this wed. or next Saturdays game!!!
The team is on a 5 game roadtrip! We unfortunately started off on a bad foot and our flight to NY was delayed a total of 7 HOURS! Oh man, that really put a damper on our Saturday because we had to wait around the airport the entire time! Although we were slightly happy we were able to catch the All Star game because of our delay and all that free time allowed for some team fun! So... Let me introduce you to the "MERCURY FIVE" - Bridget, Le'coe, Tangela, DeWanna and Ketia! They are our new dance crew, lol! They used their extra airport time to come up with a dance, which if you were in our terminal you got to see them perform it for everyone! Haha, the Jet Blue staff even anounced it on the main intercom and played the music through their speakers! It was hilarious and definitely gave all those uneasy/irritated/delayed passengers a great laugh. Since our flight was delayed, we didn't get into NY until 230am! :( such a bummer! But, luckily when we got on the bus, Bridget continued to entertain us and acted like our tour guide! Apparently she thought we landed in Rome, because it really did feel like we just got off a 14 hour flight! I was especially bummed because I was planning to have a lovely dinner with my two sisters who live in the city! That really cut back the amount of time I got to spend with them, but I am still sooooo excited and happy I got to see them! I was also excited that Dirk made it to the game a.k.a. Dermot, although I didn't get to say hello. I am going to post the video of the MERCURY FIVE performing but don't have my connector to upload the video to my computer, gotta wait til I get home! But, I cannot wait for everyone to see it!! We beat NY on Sunday! YAY... It's always exciting to play in Madison Square Garden, and its always a difficult arena to play in... I mean, our all time record there speaks for itself! We are now 2-12 in MSG! After the game my sister took some of the team and I to a delicious Spanish Tapas restaurant called Pipa. Coach Julie, Nicole Ohlde, our Communications manager Eric, our PR and community relations mgr. Leslie Factor, and our tv/ radio announcer Kevin Ray came along. It was a very cool restaurant with great food and live music! Later Sunday night everyone went to Cappie's launch party for '4Season Style Management'. It was at Mad46 a really cool rooftop bar. Today the team took a charter bus over to Connecticut, it's a pretty quick drive. I stayed an extra day in NY and am going to catch up with the team tomorrow morning. I'm so happy my sisters and I have gone to some of my favorite places to eat, Max Brenners and Serendipity. We also went rowing in Central Park Which was so relaxing! After the Connecticut game I am going on a little vacation! Yay! The team is continuing on to Atlanta, Minnesota and Seattle before coming back to Phoenix. Well, I hope all of you keep tabs on this roadtrip because I'm sure its going to be an exciting one! We did already start off with one exciting win! Go Merc! :)
"This was just another regular season game. We did some good things early tonight. Indiana is a good defensive team so it is difficult to put up 100 points against a half court defensive team like Indiana. We don't worry about our record, we just play each game. Tonight we have to give credit to our big players doing a good job crashing the boards." - Diana Taurasi
Diana's quote summed up everything I (and probably you) love about her and the Mercury.
They don't make too big a deal out of a big win like tonight or a tough loss like in Detroit.
They acknowledge what they do well, but are never content.
They constantly deflect credit to other teammates, or opposing teams.
They have some of the biggest hearts I've ever seen in a professional team.
For anyone that was concerned or worried about this Mercury team...tonight should’ve quelled the majority of your tension.
Against the WNBA’s best defensive team, the Mercury scored 106 points including quarters of 28, 27, 32 points. 8 players had 8 or more points, 4 players were in double figures, the team shot almost 60% both from the floor and beyond the arc (including 10 made three-pointers), out-rebounded the Fever, had 5 more assists, and forced 14 turnovers. More importantly, every lady that saw minutes put points on the board for Phoenix.
Clearly, this was a statement-making win for the Mighty Mercury.
After a tough loss against a physical Detroit team less than 24 hours ago, Phoenix responded tonight with heart and (as always) resilience in the 2nd game of their last back-to-back set of the season. It would’ve been easy for the Mercury to come out lackadaisical or play with heavy legs; instead, they stormed out of the gates catching the Fever off-guard with their energy and enthusiasm as a team.
Leading the charge from the start was Temeka Johnson. Meek made it a mission of hers to lead the Mercury to victory on both ends of the floor tonight doing a little bit of everything for Phoenix. She had 13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in just 23 minutes of play. Helping Temeka out was another fantastic game by Cappie Pondexter who scored 25 points, notched 4 assists, and grabbed 3 rebounds.
Though, what ultimately won the game for the Mercury tonight was the collective effort as a team. There wasn’t any focus on individual stats or accolades – if an extra pass needed to be made, they made it. If they needed a rebound, they went out and got it. If they needed points, they had 9 ladies who could put the ball in the basket.
This team has heart, and tonight's game showed it more than ever.
What impressed me the most is how bad the Mercury wanted this win tonight; and it wasn't because they were playing the Indiana Fever or that they got beat at home when these teams last played each other. No, it wasn’t about the Fever, per se, it was about wanting to bounce back from a difficult loss in Detroit. That attitude, my friends, is the mindset of champions, and it's extremely encouraging to see that type of response this late in the season.
Perhaps more important than the win itself, is the Mercury are consistently demonstrating they are able to win without solely relying on Diana and Cappie to carry them to victory. Instead of needing DT3 or CP23 to play 35-40 minutes a night, and score 25-30 points each, they have multiple ways of beating you even if Diana and Cappie are having an off-shooting night. They have a clear floor general in Temeka, an anchor in both Penny and Nicole, and the Shawn Marion-esque DeWanna Bonner that round out their already solid roster.
I've said it countless times this season, even from my early days watching the team's two-a-days in training camp - this team is special. This team has heart.
Hi everyone! It’s Saturday and the team and I are back in Phoenix. As you know we played at Key Arena in Seattle the other night and came home with a 'W'!! It was a crazy nail-biting game, but we pulled through as the stronger team. Everyone has been so excited about the upcoming playoffs, there's definitely no signs of fear! Practices have been exactly how they've been all summer long. They haven't intensified or gotten easier to rest anyone. During practices in phoenix this past week we had a lot of the Suns guys come in and watch, Suns coach Alvin Gentry always seems to make an appearance in the upper viewing area in our practice court. He just sits back and observes. This weeks practices have had me cracking up! The girls have been going very hard as usual but everyone is in happy spirits. Towards the end of Wednesdays practice Coach Gaines separated the girls into two teams. He had the black jersey'd team running quick 10 seconds or less plays, using a scenario where they were down 3 or 2 points. The white jersey'd team played defense with coach Julie and Bridget setting them up. They went through around 6 different drawn up plays from Corey and although the plays worked and they were able to get some great open looks they didn't score one point :( plus the defense from the white team was on point! On the 7th try the black team started full-court with 8 seconds left on the clock, they we're down 2 points and the white team was all set for a full court defense. As soon as the basketball was in-bounded every player on the white team fell (literally threw themselves on the ground) and the black team ran the ball all the way down and scored a lay-up! The defense was called 'Grenade' I think coach Julie gave it that name. So finally, the black team was able to score... And that section of practice was over! This gave everyone a good laugh, especially for the on lookers in the viewing section.
In Thursdays shoot around the teams continued the fun! Let's see… first Bridget found some big headphones and showed us her DJ'ing skills. Then, while the team did their two warm up laps around the court DeWanna piggy backed on Le'coes back, Le'coe showed us her track skills that were utterly hilarious! I cannot even explain how she set up at the line and ended up stutter stepping when she took off. At the very end of that shoot around Bridget and Le'coe had a race across court, I will upload the video for you all to see!
We are all excited to finally know that we will be playing San Antonio for the first round of playoffs!!! I personally cannot wait for our first home post season game! I know the x-factors going to come out strong! Well its finally time to leave work today!! My mom and nana are cooking dinner for the team tonight... After being on the road I think everyone is excited to get a home cooked meal!
WOW!!!! I am loving every minute of this season.... I really feel like X-Factor has turned it up a notch this year! Like, I know I used to always hear people hollering all throughout games but lately my ears have been ringing from the ridiculously loud noise! Its Sunday and today is another exciting game day. During games I sit on the 2nd row of the bench... And a lot of times I wish I could be sitting in the crowd yelling as loud as possible like everyone else. As I get into the games I do have to hold back a lot of emotion because when I do yell.... All I see is one of the coaches or our trainer in front of me turn around and give me a look... Like, "Was that you?!" It does make me feel like I'm just yelling in their ears!.. OOPS :)
I posted two videos today... Just little things. One is of my favorite part of practice, coach Bridget pushing the bigs around and the other is the team shooting half court shots today. Its a ritual they do after every shoot around. Today Dewanna was the only one who made the BIG shot! I am going to start posting daily pics and uploading more videos real soon! There's definitely a lot of stuff I'd love to share with everyone that would be best shared through images!
Big ups to Q!! Yesterday was her 23rd birthday.... She's such an old lady!!! :) JK. She definitely didn't get any special treatment for her special day. In fact, she had to go through the spank line! I'm sure glad I don't celebrate my birthday during the season because the girls on are our team can get some good hits in that spank line!
There's been some goofing off around the locker room as always, but its now turned into people hanging up bad pictures of each other and doodling on their faces! There's a great one of Diana hanging up right as you walk into the locker room... no one can miss it! lol And I have to admit I did one of my own... I doodled on Corey's autograph photo! I am going to upload that picture in a minute! That picture is sitting on our white board.
There's a ton of dogs in the Mercury family now! Lets see... I have my dog, Ella! Ohlde has a cockapoo named Gus, Tan has a silky terrier named Jade, Cappie has two dogs named Snooze and Max, Ketia has a toy poodle named Roman, LeCoe has a toy american eskimo named Aubie, and Bridget has her two Jordan and Paris! The doggy playdates are nonstop!
Well the players are starting to roll into the arena and It's time for me to get back to work! I hope to hear all that noise at tonight's game and leave some of that energy with the Mercury as they head out into a winning 3 game roadtrip tomorrow!!
September 21st. 2009 WNBA Playoffs. Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Series tied at 1-1.
It all comes down to this. For the Mercury, it's win...or stay home.
However, the Mercury has managed to shift the momentum back in their favor, and have several things they should feel good about in this proverbial elimination game.
To start, the series has clearly shifted momentum with the Mercury's convincing and inspiring home win in game 2. Essentially, they did just about everything right in that game, and it's reflected in one of the most amazing box scores I've ever seen. Though, as any championship coach would tell you, Corey Gaines isn't quite comfortable or content. "There's always something you can find to work on after watching the film," said Gaines at practice Sunday. "We'll be ready."
Phoenix also will have a healthy, fresh squad of players to go on Monday. No Mercury played more than 26 minutes, and the starters essentially sat the entire fourth quarter. "That was huge," Gaines told me. "I know they sat theirs too earlier than usual but for us to get rest was big." Unquestionably, the most important part of their win in game 2 was the way Phoenix put away the game early, and never let the Silver Stars back in. Had they let San Antonio go on any sort of run, the Silver Stars could've found a positive to take away and build upon heading into the deciding game Monday. Instead, they'll need to start from scratch after a demoralizing 28 point loss. Still, don't expect San Antonio to come out and lay an egg. We should certainly expect better games from both Hammon and Young; some of the best competitors in the league.
Perhaps most encouraging, we finally saw a break-out game from both Diana and Cappie that we hadn't seen of late. Although they will almost certainly get their 20+ points each game, they really haven't shot their normal percentage from the floor the past 5-8 games. On Saturday, the two combined for 42 points on 18-28 shooting in only about 24 minutes each. Undeniably, this type of confidence will permeate throughout the entire Mercury team, but most importantly, the two captains - Diana and Cappie.
We also saw a bit more of the human side to the Silver Stars bench, which was held in check by the Mercury's energy and defense. In addition, DeWanna Bonner and Penny Taylor off the bench for Phoenix kept the tempo fast, allowed the Mercury to continue their relentless attack, and energized the Phoenix crowd.
Last, but certainly not least, it's a home game and the X-Factor will be louder than they have all year. After all, it's what the Mercury played all season for. The team is healthy, confident, and will have 10,000+ fans cheering them on. However, as we all know, stranger things have happened than a Silver Stars victory Monday. Hence, the Mercury will need to play with the same type of urgency and intensity that they did on Saturday night. At practice on Sunday, it was clear the team is still all business and just as motivated as we saw on Saturday. Still, it's safe to say the exact same attitude is consumed by San Antonio.
Quite simply, this is the type of basketball we all love.
But, I think we'd all love it a *bit* more with a Mercury win and advancement into the Western Conference Finals.
And now as we all have shared in the celebration of winning the WNBA 2009 Championship, I find myself with alot of time on my hands. With devoting my evenings to either being at a Mercury game or watching them on TV, the last few weeks of my life had been rearranged to accommodate game start times. At some point I thought my home was "Fan Headquarters" for the Phx. Mercury. Newspaper articles, posters, big purple spongy #1 fingers and anything else my 13yr. old stepdaughter could find we had!! For some reason or another it seemed like we could relate to the ladies of the Phx. Merucry. Or maybe they made it clear that they could relate to us. Whatever the reason, we as fans connected with them. Connected with them more than just being fans. We knew all about them and yes, they even knew some of our names. As with so many professional athletes they seem "out of reach" to us fans. No way, never gonna happen that you are going to be able to have a conversation during shoot around with a NBA player or be able to get on the field to snap photos of your favorite NFL player. It just doesnt happen, its not allowed. So why is it that with our Mercury ladies its exactly what takes place!! They stop to take pictures with us and our kids, they stop to give autographs and share a few words. These gestures are what makes them "REAL" to us and that is why we connected with them. I have seen first hand the humbleness that these ladies carry with them. It is nothing less than knowing where they are now is a gift in time and should be consumed with greatfullness and thanks.
Now that the season has ended and the ladies of the Phx. Mercury go there seperate ways, we can only offer them much more success in their next journey. I'm sure we will continue to support them and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
And so now fans, we are left with only one thing to look foward too----------> 010 as Cappie says!!
What a great ride it was. Thank you Mercury ladies for playing with your hearts but more importantly sharing them with us fans.
And so it is written....what make them champions to us goes far beyond the banner and the trophy!!
Its Monday, and the mood around here is great! We have the first game of the season under our belt and it can't get any better than starting off with an exciting win!! I absolutely looooved the "Mercury Player Sing-Along" video during the game. I can't wait to see more of those. The players filmed that one day last week and they all definitely had a good time with it. Well all except Maz, she got demoted for lack of attempt... Maz can sometimes be a shy one with stuff like that so they let her off the hook!!!
I'm sitting in practice right now and Bridget is being entertaining as always... she's wrestling with Le'coe's son Derek in the practice court while the team is stretching. Coach Corey is writing plays on the white board and I was just informed that he has taken a class before, to learn how to better write on boards. He said they taught him angles and its apparently still awkward for him to write! Lol! Our owner Robert Sarver played around with the team a little today. Cappie took him one on one, and she pulled some moves on him.... although he was in a business suit. Tonight he's treating the entire team to dinner!!!
Each of our players have favorite things around the arena. They all love the breakfast foods provided in the locker room every morning! Tangela and Dee looooove the powdered donuts our trainer gets every gameday. Ohlde loves the laffy taffy's in our candy jar and the Glacier Freeze Gatorade.. Maz loves the dryfit shirts... Which she makes cutoffs that get torn in practice every other day. Brooke loves the chapstick the team buys. I know there's a lot more stuff I'm missing but I must get back to work!! I will definitely give you more details soon! :)
Stay with me. I promise this will all make sense...
You probably aren't aware that I'm a huge fan of the movie, "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. For that matter, you probably don't know that it inspired a tattoo of mine that says (well, I hope it says) "No Mind" in Japanese characters.
If you haven't seen it, the movie centers around an American soldier who is sent to Japan in the 1800's to help stop an internal uprising by the Samurai. For centuries, the Samurai were relied upon to protect the Japanese kingdom; however, a money-driven consultant to the Emperor is attempting to industrialize Japan, and the Samurai culture. Tom Cruise's character (yes, the American) is sent to guide the Japanese army to stop the Samurai uprising. He ends up getting captured by the Samurai, finds their way of life to be simplistic and honorable, and falls in love with their beliefs and culture. Hence, the movie's themes very much deal with honor, integrity, resilience, redemption, and sacrifice.
At one point in the movie, Tom Cruise's character (Nathan) is being taught how to fight with a Samurai sword. Obviously, he's struggling and having a difficult time adjusting to the technique. He's thinking about the position of his hands, his stance on the ground, the correct motions of the sword, the people watching him, and what the right attack/protection is. That is, until a member of the Samurai comes and gives him the best advice possible. "Too many mind," says the Samurai. "Mind the sword, mind the people watch, mind the enemy. Too many mind."
Of course, the Samurai is trying to tell Nathan to stop thinking so much. He's focusing on way too many things to be effective. He's not letting the fighting come to him, and accepting that his natural instincts will pay off. Nathan listens to the Samurai's advice, frees his mind, and competes against his teacher (an expert) beautifully.
If you haven't guessed yet, this is exactly what the Mercury need to do - stop thinking. Stop thinking about everyone's expectations, about Lisa Leslie's last game, about awards, about the Finals, about the back-to-back, about everything.
Just play basketball. Mercury basketball.
Let's not forget how poorly the Mercury shot from the floor all game, the free-throws they uncharacteristically missed, the 7 lay-ups they didn't convert, the -15 rebounding deficit, and the 23 second-chance points and, yet, still cut the Sparks lead to 9 with about 5 minutes to go. In fact, if you take away the 1st quarter, the Mercury outscored the Sparks by 3 in the subsequent quarters.
At this point in the season, over-thinking can get you in a lot of trouble - and it's easy to do. There are a lot of "shoulds" that come with the territory of being an elite team and winning multiple awards; but the Mercury must block all that out. They have to ignore the fact that they "should" get out-rebounded by a taller team. They have to ignore that they "should" be able to run on the Sparks. And most importantly, they have to ignore the fact that they "should" win at home tomorrow. "Shoulds" lead to stagnant activity, and a false sense of confidence.
Rather, Phoenix just needs to go out and play their behind's off. That's it. They need to follow the example of Diana Taurasi not backing down from Lisa Leslie. They have to ensure their collective mind is clear, and go out and quite literally...just play. That's when they are at their best - the Mighty Mercury.
And something tells me that's the exact mindset they'll have going into the deciding game 3 tomorrow.
To those that have supported the Mercury throughout the entire season and will be there to do the same on Friday - thank you! To those that haven't - this is my rally call, and plea, to you.
If you're not planning on attending the Phoenix Mercury vs. Los Angeles Sparks game at US Airways Center on Friday, you're missing out.
But...I forgive you.
Maybe you don't know that your Phoenix Mercury are one (1) win away from returning to the WNBA Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years. For that matter, you may or may not know they play the dreaded Los Angeles Sparks to get there - have you already forgotten the "Beat LA!" chants we Arizonans know and love?
Again, I forgive you...
Perhaps you weren't aware that the Mercury posted a WNBA league-best 23 wins this season. Or that the Mercury led the lead in scoring. Again. Both as a team and individually. Or that Phoenix has the 6th Woman of the Year. Or that they have the 3pt percentage leader. Or that the Mercury have 2 of the 5 All-WNBA 1st team selections (Diana, Cappie). Or that they're averaging almost 100 points per game in 40 minutes in the playoffs. Or that the Mercury's pace of play is actually faster than your Phoenix Suns, and would average more points than the Suns in a 48 minute game. Or that they have the best team free-throw percentage in league history. Or that they have the probable MVP of the league in Diana Taurasi. Or the respect that these ladies are getting on a national basis.
Maybe you didn't know those things.
Well...now you do. And the team needs your home-town support more than ever to rally them past Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and the Sparks.
If you're not necessarily a WNBA fan, need I remind you that Kobe Bryant hails from the same city as the Sparks? Need I remind you of the myriad of annoying fans that infiltrate Suns games wearing a Kobe jersey and taunting us? By the way, they're still there at Mercury games. Need I remind you of how many championships the city of Los Angeles has? Need I remind you of the atmosphere at Suns games when they play the Lakers? As Arizonans, we shouldn't even think twice of about attending an event or showing our support for a Phoenix team when their opponent starts with a 'Los Angeles' or 'San Antonio'!!
If ticket prices are a concern, let's put that to bed right now. You can get fantastic lower level seats for insanely low prices starting at just $16. Or, for an upper level seat, you can purchase them starting at $2 (are you kidding me?!?!). If you're worried about getting your money's worth, just ask the thousands of fans around you on Friday when Diana does her "rally call" during the player introductions - the chills you'll have are normal, and the other 10,000 fans will have them too.
If you're strictly a Suns fan, sorry, that's no excuse either. Almost the entire Suns team has supported the Mercury at some point throughout the year (some on multiple occasions) including Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Alando Tucker, Robin Lopez, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic - and yes, even Sir Charles Barkley. Grant Hill even asked Ann Meyers-Drysdale (Mercury GM) if the Suns could borrow Diana Taurasi for the NBA season! If you're a Suns fan, you're a Mercury fan.
To close, if you have a personal vendetta against the WNBA, there's not much I can do about that (except this). All I ask is that you come out, and support your Phoenix Mercury team - they need you. They need the same love and support you've shown the Suns for over 40 years. They need the same energy and passion you have at Cardinals games. They need that type of enthusiasm and quite frankly, they absolutely deserve it.
For those that are fans, and plan on attending, please feel free to forward this letter/message on to others. If anyone has any questions, you are more than welcome to give them my personal email address (bjyork15@gmail.com) and I'd be happy to go over their reasons why they wouldn't want to come - and convince them otherwise.
So, I ask, will you join me Friday to help get this Mercury team to the 2009 WNBA Finals?
I'm not a huge fan of statistical figures and over-hyped analysis of integers. I guess you could say I'm more "old school" in that way. In my opinion, basketball is a fairly simple sport and making it too complicated usually doesn't equate to wins.
Don't get me wrong, there are stats that matter; I'm just not a big proponent of the more complicated ones as I believe they can be construed in multiple ways. As Mark Twain said, "there are lies, damned lies, and statistics."
At Mercury shoot-around today, the very last one of the season, I found out the team and organization have a very similar outlook for their decisive game 5 against the Fever.
"You know, bottom line is it comes down to just another 40 minutes of basketball," Diana Taurasi said. "If we look at it that way then we have nothing to worry about."
As Dee said that, her tone of voice and body language was that of confidence and simplicity. In fact, as a Mercury fan, it was incredibly reassuring. It probably would be a mistake to add things into the game plan that they haven't worked on the entire year, and Gaines clearly wasn't going to confuse or burden the players with any additional things.
Hence, whoever wins tonight will do the following things better than the other team.
Have more energy
Better composure
It's really that simple.
Former Suns coach, Mike D'Antoni, used to say "the ball finds energy." How true! Energy leads to rebounds, better defense, improved focus on offense, and more shot attempts. Composure leads to an increased will power, determination, never panicking, and staying loose in a high pressure situation.
We all know how good the Fever can be on defense. We all know how fantastic the Mercury can be on offense. We all know how multiple players can step up for both teams and, essentially, be the key to a victory. But the winner tonight will be the team that lets the game come to them, and go all out for an entire 40 minutes.
That's it.
You could probably make a strong case for a plethora of statistical analyses that will "prove" which team is going to win or has the better chance of winning. You could say the Mercury have an advantage at home but you could also make a case for the Fever being the team with less pressure and expectations which would lead to a more free-flowing game for Indiana. Maybe you could try and compare offensive efficiency vs. defensive efficiency, turnovers forced, shooting percentage, rebounding percentage, offensive rating vs. defensive rating etc. But all of those figures stem from the team that out-hustles and out-energizes the other team, all while remaining composed in such a high profile game.
Though, it certainly doesn't hurt that Phoenix is playing at home. Interestingly enough, this series should become the most attended Finals series of all time, over 81,000 people attending the 5 games. The series will also have the highest average attendance (about 16,000) since the Finals went to 5 games.
"I'm expecting a dog fight," Cappie Pondexter said. "It's been a battle the whole series and I wouldn't be surprised if it was very close or went to overtime. At this point home-court doesn't really matter. We just have to come out with a lot of energy and use that to our advantage."
However, Cappie did acknowledge the significance of this game. "If I walk away with a championship tonight, it will be one of the top achievements ever."
Still, the winner of tonight's game isn't going to implement anything new to completely disorient the other team. They're not going to add new offensive schemes, or do anything different than what got them to this point. And this, more so than anything, makes tonight's game 5 so compelling and important.
The Mercury lost a back-and-forth battle in Detroit tonight in spite of a depleted Shock team, 101-99. While no one enjoys losing, I'd like to caution Mercury fans and followers not to do the following three things;
Panic.
Make too big a deal out of this loss.
Worry about the Storm being just 1 game behind the Mercury.
Perhaps the most important thing I can say is not to panic. The Mercury are fine. I've said this several times throughout the season - Phoenix hasn't peaked yet but are darn close. Truthfully, this is the perfect scenario heading into the playoffs. Had Diana hit the three at the end on tonight's game, I think it would've been their best win of the season. Instead, it's just a tough loss that the Mercury will put behind them and focus on the Fever tomorrow night (the more important game).
Second, this was an absolute must-win game for Detroit. They obviously came out with a chip on their shoulder, rallied as a team without Katie Smith, and made the key shots when they counted. It happens. Instead of getting down on the Mercury, give the credit to the Shock for persevering and getting a much needed win. So, let's look at the positives in this loss. The Mercury won the rebounding battle, Diana and Cappie both had phenomenal games, and in spite of 19 turnovers the Mercury had a great chance to win the game. Phoenix also started slow but was able to get back in the game and in a position to win. "I think we just focused in on defense and brought energy," Cappie Pondexter said of their second half comeback. "Unfortunately, our turnovers didn't allow us to capitalize on the offensive end, which allowed them to capitalize defensively. We just have to do a better job of taking care of the ball."
Last, with the Storm beating New York and moving into 1 game of the Mercury for the #1 seed in the West, I still caution fans about worrying too much. The Storm play 3 of their last 4 games on the road (game at home is vs. Phoenix) and this will probably be without Lauren Jackson; thus, I'd anticipate their 6-game winning streak and momentum could come to a screeching halt. The Mercury, on the other hand, have a fantastic opportunity to gain a significant amount of momentum heading into the post-season. "It's vital, not just because of our record or to get a better record, to just be a better team overall," Cappie said. "And having that momentum in the playoffs is definitely going to be the team that's probably going to take it all."
Instead of getting frustrated about the Mercury's slow starts, let's be thankful how resilient of a team they are. Ultimately, if I had to choose whether to be a fast-starting team or a resilient team I'd absolutely choose to be resilient; that no matter what, you feel like there is always a chance to win.
Another positive - the Mercury's rebounding has been exponentially better over the past 10 games. With an improved and healthy front line, there isn't as much of a worry regarding the rebounding battle as there was in the first half of the season.
And if I'm honest, it's the perfect time for the Mercury to truly click. As I mentioned above, the Mercury as a team showed some very encouraging signs tonight. They still won the rebounding battle, shot well from the floor, and despite 19 turnovers had a chance to win.
So, I guess the theme of this article is to just stick with the Mercury during these tough losses.
This is a blog and that is my opinion, my personal prediction and not the official representation of the Phoenix Mercury organization. I can see Corey Gaines and his team squirming at the thought of one of their web guys proclaiming another title before they have even gotten to the Finals. Sorry Coach, just calling it as I see it.
This team has essentially the same core of All-Star caliber players as the 2007 Championship club. First Team All-WNBA members Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, Tangela Smith and Penny Taylor comprise four of the five starters from that team, even though Taylor has come off the bench since returning to Arizona in midseason. Temeka Johnson and Ketia Swanier have done a formidable job at the point guard spot manned by Kelly Miller two seasons ago, with Pondexter still taking control at key moments in games. And veteran Le’coe Willingham has been solid in her second season in Phoenix.
With Taylor, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year and WNBA All-Rookie Team member DeWanna Bonner and Nicole Ohlde, the Mercury are among the deepest teams in the league. And given the opportunity, sharpshooter Kelly Mazzante, a major threat off the bench during the title run, is always one made three-pointer from going on a hot streak.
Gaines has picked up right where his predecessor and mentor left off after Paul Westhead left for the NBA following the 2007 title run. He has kept the same staff of assistants he was a member of from the first time around. When he is not chiding the referees or yelling “Run! Run! Run!” he is calm cool and collected, allowing his players a voice, as well. Off the court, he is one of the gang, taking an active interest in his players’ lives, joking around with them, keeping things loose. While waiting for the luggage after the return trip to Phoenix on Thursday, there was a very distinct odor hovering around the baggage carousel. The head coach went around and sniffed each of players personally in an attempt to ascertain its origin. (The source of the foul smell was never discovered.)
There is no question this team has the talent to win a WNBA Championship. They’ve already done it with arguably less talent, top to bottom. The schedule finally is in their favor after starting on the road for the first two rounds, despite finishing with the league’s best record. No matter what happens, they will be home for a little while. If they were to advance past the Sparks, the Finals would begin with the first two games in the Valley before the middle two games of the best-of-five series take them back on the road, to either Indiana or Detroit.
Even more than the talent and the experience of the previous championship run, or perhaps as a result, this team has the air of a champion. They know what it takes, how much work and effort will go into reaching the top again. They come in with the chip on their shoulders of missing out on the postseason all together last season, and the chemistry, cohesiveness and drive of the year before.
The Mercury is four wins away from a second WNBA Championship. And personally, I think they are going to get them.
Los Angeles, understandably, came into tonight's contest riding high winning their past 6 games. However, that streak came to an end thanks to a breakout game by Penny Taylor and an all-around team effort in a rally win over the Sparks, 98-90.
Tonight's win sent an important message to the rest of the league. As if there were any doubt before, Phoenix has now proven they are the most resilient team in the WNBA and certainly a legitimate force to be reckoned with. It wasn't a must-win game for the Mercury, but it's clear they were on a mission.
Admittedly, it was somewhat of a letdown when we heard that Candace Parker wouldn't be playing tonight due to "personal reasons." However, the Sparks certainly didn't show any signs of letting up storming out of the gates to a 34-19 lead. Led by a superb 7-7, 15 point 1st quarter performance by Lisa Leslie the Sparks came out on fire hitting on 65% of their shots in the 1st. They were the more aggressive team and it showed in the free-throw disparity early on with a 9-2 advantage. As I mentioned in the preview, Phoenix needed to limit their turnovers but that didn't happen in the 1st quarter as the Mercury turned the ball over 6 times which led to 12 Sparks points.
Phoenix came out much better to start the 2nd quarter scoring 8 quick points and doing a better job of their transition defense. The Sparks chances of shooting close to 70% all game was slim to none, so it was the perfect point for the Mercury to make a move. Temeka Johnson did a great job of penetrating the lane forcing the Sparks defense to collapse and kicking the ball back out to her shooters, namely Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi who paced Phoenix with 13 and 8 points respectively at the half. For a while, it really became a three-point contest with each team shooting multiple three's in a 4 minute span.
Corey Gaines' 'Rover' defense worked very well in the 2nd quarter to force the Sparks to continue to shoot from the perimeter, knowing that LA wasn't going to shoot at such a high percentage all night. The first half was a true tale of two quarters with the Sparks falling into Phoenix's game in the 2nd quarter allowing the Mercury to make a comeback...and boy did they ever. The Mercury held Los Angeles to just 13 points in the half (3 of which were from Betty Lennox with 2 seconds left) and closed the gap to 5 at halftime.
In the 3rd, Phoenix erupted for 32 points in an incredible display of what a dangerous all-around team the Mercury are. Meek was fantastic at dishing the ball, as well as Cappie, and both had 5 assists at the end of the quarter. Penny Taylor seemingly found her groove and paced the Mercury with 14. Perhaps most important, the Mercury continued to be active on the glass which led to more second-chance points.
The Mercury were up as much as 10 points in the 4th quarter until the Sparks cut the lead to 1 with just over 2 minutes left. Even so, there was never a sense the Mercury were going to let this one slip away with as well as they played in the 2nd half. Phoenix came up with some huge defensive stops, as well as key buckets on offense, to put the game away 98-90 beating the Sparks for the third time this season.
What was so special about this win was the play of multiple ladies; there wasn't necessarily one player who carried the team the entire way. At several key points, different players stepped up and either grabbed a big rebound, made a stop defensively, or scored an important basket.
"Our bread and butter is rebounding and going," Diana Taurasi said after the game. "When we can't get stops and can't rebound, its hard for us to get in the open court where we thrive. Second quarter, third quarter, we opened it up a bit. Teams always say they're bigger than us, but we look at our up-and-down tempo. That's where we kind of impose our will and make it tough on them."
Penny Taylor played her best game in a Mercury uniform this season with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 20 minutes of action. Cappie had her usual fantastic game with 26 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Temeka had a superb game with 14 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Diana struggled from the floor but still finished with 20 points while DeWanna Bonner (the obvious Rookie of the Year) had a phenomenal night with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Temeka's leadership was huge in this game. "She's our little general," Coach Gaines said about Meek. "She comes down and keeps that pace going for me. I know it's difficult because when you're pushing the ball you don't get a lot of shots, you get them for other people. It's a tough job to do and she's doing it well. She's learning on the fly, and that's tough. It's definitely a learning experience for her, but she's doing a great job."
As I mentioned in the game preview, the Mercury were able to win the rebound battle (42-30) including a 13-10 offensive rebounding edge. In spite of a 65% shooting 1st quarter, the Sparks finished the game a mediocre 41% from the floor while the Mercury shot 45% as well as 40% from beyond the arc (9-22).
"We stayed together, and a lot of that had to do with our energy and intensity level. We rebounded, and I think that was key for us tonight. Everybody was kind of pitching in, getting rebounds here and there, especially the guards. We were able to get long rebounds, push it out, and start the break. One of the weaknesses of LA is they aren't a great transition team. We exploited that today by rebounding."
The Mercury head home to take on the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night. Make sure to come by (it's Temeka Johnson's HOPE night for her foundation) and support the team!
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The Mercury lost a back-and-forth battle in Detroit tonight in spite of a depleted Shock team, 101-99. While no one enjoys losing, I'd like to caution Mercury fans and followers 
